Forty Under 40

Jonathan A. Leebow, 33

Executive vice president,
Majestic Steel USA Â Â

Jonathan Leebow was born to sell steel — which is probably a good thing, because he has 10 acres of it under a roof in Cleveland, with a couple of smaller warehouses of the stuff in Houston and Tampa, Fla., as well.

His father, Dennis, founded Majestic Steel USA in 1979 to serve the many buyers of steel who were looking for new suppliers following the steel shortages of the 1970s. Today, it's one of the premier distributors of galvanized and other specialty steel in the United States.

Jonathan Leebow has been walking the floors of the business since he was 3 years old. To walk through the main warehouse today, it's apparent that everyone from the supervisors to the towmotor drivers are on a first-name basis with the young executive vice president.

“We work side by side with each other,” he said, pointing out men and women who have taught him how to run various pieces of machinery inside the steel service center over the years.

Even though Mr. Leebow can tell myriad stories about kayaking, mountain climbing and exploring places such as Africa and Antarctica, it's tough to get him to talk about much other than Majestic or what he has learned about the business from his father and the people he works with every day.

“I've had a lot of great teachers and coaches,” he said, though his father — “a very good business man” — has been his chief influence and source of business values. He apparently taught his son well, as the younger Mr. Leebow proudly states, “My motto is: Service is higher than self.”

That philosophy extends beyond the walls of Majestic. Not only does he get the company involved in activities such as refurbishing community ball fields along with the Cleveland Browns, but Mr. Leebow is personally involved with entities and projects such as the PlayhouseSquare Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation's Downtown Vision project and the Hunger Network's 2009 Walk for Hunger, which he chaired.

His friend Pam Plott, who nominated him for Forty Under 40, said Mr. Leebow always is seeking improvement, both for himself and his company.

“In 2005, Jonathan developed the Majestic Steel Educational Scholarship fund. He is also spearheading the Funtown Playground Project that will provide children in Bedford Heights with a space for activities funded by local businesses,” Ms. Plott said. “He realizes the importance to strive for continuous improvement professionally at Majestic, personally and spiritually.”